Grade 4
Biography
Jacques Cousteau: Bringing the Ocean to Light
Direct biography of Cousteau and underwater exploration.
Read passageJune 11 reading ideas
Finding reading ideas for this date…
Finding reading ideas for this date…
June 11 pairs Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s birthday with King Kamehameha I Day and the UN’s International Day of Play. These readings support science curiosity, place-specific history, and inclusive play.
Special date
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born June 11, 1910. These passages connect underwater exploration with a separate science reading about freediving.
2 reading resources
Direct biography of Cousteau and underwater exploration.
Read passageA science and history angle on freediving, distinct from Cousteau’s biography.
Read passageSpecial date
King Kamehameha I Day is a Hawaiʻi state holiday on June 11. The selected passages center Hawaiian history, unification, and local celebrations.
3 reading resources
Context on celebrations in Hawaiʻi.
Read passageDirect account of Kamehameha I and unification.
Read passageRelated Hawaiian history through Bernice Pauahi Bishop’s legacy.
Read passageSpecial date
The International Day of Play is a UN observance on June 11. These selections support practical discussion about inclusive play, accessible directions, and fairness.
5 reading resources
Shows how picture guides can help more students join a game.
Read passageMiddle-school perspective on fairness and school sports.
Read passageOffers an indoor game context for discussing play and following directions.
Read passageUses a mystery game to practice sequencing clear, usable directions.
Read passageMore reading for this time of year, alongside today’s special dates.
5 reading resources
Continue June ocean learning with reading about marine animals.
Explore themeExplore nature and outdoor learning during June’s Great Outdoors Month.
Open collectionExplore ocean habitats and conservation throughout June Ocean Month.
Open collectionExplore stories about fathers, caregivers and family appreciation around U.S. Father’s Day.
Open collectionExplore summer reading ideas for classroom wrap-up and reading at home. School vacation dates vary.
Open collectionYour topic. Your level.
Have another idea for today’s lesson? Let Pico create an AI-assisted passage with questions and an illustration. Choose the topic and reading level in the creator.
June 11 gives readers three different ways to investigate a topic. For Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s birthday, Jacques Cousteau: Bringing the Ocean to Light introduces his work in underwater exploration. Older readers can compare it with Descending on a Single Breath: The Science and Allure of Freediving, noticing how a biography and a science-centered account ask different questions about the ocean. Invite students to list what each text teaches and one question they still have; keep the discussion on the reading rather than giving unverified diving advice.
King Kamehameha I Day is a state holiday in Hawaiʻi, with a history rooted in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands. Kamehameha I: Unifier of Hawaiʻi provides the direct historical account. Hawaiʻi’s Special Celebrations and Bernice Pauahi Bishop: A Royal Legacy can add context about celebrations and Hawaiian history. Readers can create a simple timeline from details in the text and explain why local and state holidays can carry meanings tied to place and community.
The International Day of Play is a UN observance. For a practical activity, Picture Guides Help Everyone Play at Oak Creek Elementary and Room for Everyone at Recess let students look for ways a game or school space can include more people. Younger readers may prefer A Fun Game for Rainy Days or How to Play the Mystery Clue Game; middle school readers can consider fairness and access in Fair Play: Funding All School Sports. Ask each reader to name one rule or design choice that helps more people join in, then adapt a familiar game together.
What can a story teach us about play?
